Families Seeking Refuge in Milwaukee

Photographs of ‘A New Life’ at Alfons Gallery

I
confess, and maybe you do the same, to having a keen curiosity about other
people’s lives. What are their experiences? Where do they live? “A New Life:
Portraits of Refugee Families in Milwaukee” features photographs by John
Ruebartsch and is a collaborative effort with Sally Kuzma, a visual artist who
teaches English as a second language. The exhibition introduces families whose
lives have been turned upside down by war and struggle, but came to Milwaukee
to craft a new life.

Kay Xiong
Yang and her husband Lee Yang head one of the families featured in the
photographs. Xiong Yang came to the United States about 20 years ago, her own
family having fled their rural Laotian village because of government
persecution. Xiong Yang grew up in a Thai refugee camp and today rents a farm
in Oak Creek where 22 acres are a source of income, pride and fulfillment.
Ruebartsch captures a portrait of Xiong Yang on her 1950s Allis Chalmers
tractor, an image of determination and strength.

Culture
may reflect the place we come from, but it can also be carried along wherever
we go though the clothing worn or the objects, both symbolic and decorative, we
choose to have in the place we live. Yarey and Adey are two sisters from
Somalia who live in different households with their children but maintain close
family ties. Ruebartsch’s portrait of Yarey brings us into her home where her
love of crochet and textiles is well represented by the handmade bed cover and
decorative fabrics on the walls. Her clothing—a long printed skirt, orange
paisley blouse and diaphanous green turban—reflects an adherence to cultural
identity which is an aspect a number of the exhibition portraits highlight.

“A New
Life: Portraits of Refugee Families in Milwaukee” reveals a side of our city we
may not be aware of or not see except in brief passing moments. It is an
exhibition documenting the extraordinary stories, accomplishments and hopes of
fellow citizens and neighbors.

Poll

A Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission panel upheld the firing of former Milwaukee Police officer Christopher Manney for violating department rules last April when he encountered Dontre Hamilton before fatally shooting him. Do you agree with the commission’s decision?